A Matter of Time
by Keiko Fujiwara
Summary: What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death." [more info inside]
1. Part 1

**Keiko Fujiwara: I've had this little story in my mind for a while…, and finally, I've had time to write it down since BATB 2.13 "Till Death" (which was an AWESOME episode by the way!).**

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**Things to know:**

**This piece will have sort of a Faulkner style to it. So read carefully because it will flip from present to past and back to present (et cetera) unexpectedly. The following bullet points should aid you in reading this story. **

***Present** || Normal Font

***Past** || **_Bold + Italicized Font_**

***Several sentences will be split. The first half may be in the present…then a past memory will infiltrate the sentence…. The rest of the phrase will continue after the memory has completed itself. (sometimes the memory will cut off abruptly and return to the present)**

****If, after this chapter is over, you are utterly confused, please let me know.**

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**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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**A Matter of Time**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Catherine hissed in pain as she slowly made her way into her apartment. It had been a long, agonizing drive back from Gabe's, and she knew she was in for a rough night. The moment she entered her bedroom, she inhaled a sharp breath and walked into her bathroom. Before she did anything, she gazed into the mirror, and observed the jagged marks stretching across her abdomen. Blood was seeping through her dress—lots of it.

While she continued to stare at her injury, she bit her lip and gasped as she reached backwards to unzip her dress. For Vincent's sake, she needed to destroy her dress as soon as possible. Once she pulled the zipper down towards the small of her back, she released her long-held breath, and slid the black, sequenced material over and off of her shoulders. The dress fell to the floor, and she proceeded to remove the rest of her clothing so she could clean off in the shower. Once fully naked, she noticed the extent of her wounds, and her thoughts of cleaning her injuries in a hot shower was long forgotten.

It's a wonder how she even managed to drive home without fainting!

To try and stop the blood from flowing out of her stomach, she pressed both hands against the four clawed cuts and clenched her teeth as well as squeezed her eyes shut in response to the pain searing out of her body.

When she opened up her eyes, she _**smiled at Gabe as he pulled her inside of his apartment. They were finally going to make the next big step within their relationship—or so she hoped. As he locked the door, he told her to make herself at home. She walked further inside his apartment, nervous. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like something was missing. The last time she had…was with Vincent. And a memory like **__**that**__** doesn't just disappear overnight. As she slowly walked about the living room, she realized she had never really had a chance to notice all of the ancient artifacts decorating Gabe's apartment. **_

"_**See something you like?" she heard him ask as he approached her from behind. **_

"_**Your collection…I didn't know you like medieval weapons." Catherine replied while he walked in front of her with a smile. **_

"_**It's a…guilty pleasure." Gabe laughed. "I've been collecting for many years. But," he paused, "I didn't invite you into my apartment tonight just so we could talk about my collection." **_

"_**I know." Catherine nodded as she tried to hide the fact that her mind was reeling with uneasiness. Something—call it a gut feeling—was nagging at her, but she didn't know what it was. "I guess I'm a little nervous…. That's all." **_

"_**We don't have to do anything, Catherine. If you still want to wait, I'm okay with that." Gabe replied, still smiling. "I told you, I'll wait until you're ready." **_

_**But would she ever be ready? For Gabe, at least? "Is it okay…if I have a few moments to myself?" She needed to get herself together; she couldn't very well do that with him standing in the room. **_

"_**Of course. I need to make a quick trip to the lobby anyway. You think ten minutes would be long enough?" **_

"_**Should be." Catherine nodded. **_

"_**All right. I'll see you in ten." Gabe said and backed away from her. "Feel free to look at my collection while you collect your thoughts." **_

"_**Thanks." Catherine gave Gabe a small smile. After he had left, she pulled her hair off of her neck and took in a deep breath. What was she doing? Did she really want to go through with this? What was she trying to prove? That she could move on from Vincent? Thousands of thoughts entered her head as she mindlessly sauntered about the loft. She twiddled her fingers behind her back and teetered back and forth on her feet as she gazed at the walls. Gabe really had quite the collection—how could she have not noticed it before? **_

_**Suddenly, she saw two manila folders sitting on his desk; unable to defy her curiosity, she walked over to it and **_felt so weak; her skin was paling. She looked at her crumpled dress and undergarments on the floor and saw a small puddle of blood growing around it. Her hands were too small to prevent her stomach from bleeding, and if she didn't call for help, she was sure she wouldn't make the night. After grabbing her towel off of the towel rack, she pressed the material firmly against her abdomen and walked out of the bathroom. She needed to find her phone and call _him_. He needed to know. He _had_ to know. She didn't care that she was buck naked; she was in too much pain to even think about her indecency. However, if she should pass out before his arrival, she grabbed her bathrobe and dragged it with her as she walked out of her bedroom.

Catherine strolled down her hallway and _**gasped when she saw the headings of both folders. One was labeled with Vincent's name, and the other one was entitled Catherine Chandler. Why would Gabe have files of Vincent and of her? Slowly and quietly, she flipped up the top flap of the folder listed with her name, and scanned through its contents. Among the papers she found within the file, Gabe apparently had copies of her monetary transactions within his possession. She continued to thumb through the files, and saw a sealed, mini-manila envelope as well. Quickly, she unwound the thin red string from around its coil, and pulled out what seemed to be pictures…of her…. Some were pictures taken of her when she was a little girl; others were recent—very recent. Was Gabe having her followed? And for how long? **_

_**Catherine put the pictures back into the envelope and resealed it before placing it back inside the larger envelope. Instead of continuing to investigate her file, she moved on to Vincent's. Again, Gabe had collected many of Vincent and JT's monetary transactions from the past two years. He also had pictures of both of them among other things. However, inside the small envelope that contained the dozens of photos of Vincent, she also found a small key. Shoving the key inside her pocket, she tidied everything back up, made the desk look like she had never touched it and started looking for a safe. He wouldn't have hidden his safe in plain sight—or would've he? **_

_**If Catherine knows anything about Gabe, it is that he's smart. He's an ADA after all; if he was really hiding something, he wouldn't have all of his secrets on showcase. They would be hidden in a place only he would have most of the access to—his room. Without a second thought, her detective skills kicked in. She snuck into Gabe's bedroom and searched his chamber. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Hang on—why would a dresser drawer have a lock? She raced over to his bedside dresser and pulled the key out of her pocket. "Could it really be that simple?" she asked herself as she looked at the key. **_

_**Wasting no more time, she pushed the key inside the padlock and twisted the lock open. Success. With urgency, she removed the padlock, and opened up the drawer. Not even Vincent would have been able to guess what she had found. **_

_**She turned on her phone light, directed the LED down into the drawer and **_held onto the wall as she made her way to the main room of her apartment. As she made her way to her counter, she lazily dropped her bathrobe on top of her couch's armrest so Vincent would be able to find it.

She remembered placing her purse on the counter—her phone **had** to be in it. Wherever her phone might be, she hoped to God that she didn't leave it at Gabe's. With the cloth pressed against her stomach, she finally made it to the kitchen counter. While she reached for her purse, she suddenly felt dizzy; her legs felt like Jell-O. The room around her started to spin as absentmindedly released the towel from her stomach and grasped her head. Forgetting about her purse, she tried to take a step away from the counter, but lost her balance, falling to the floor.

She shrieked in agony, grasping her side as she tried to erase the pain resonating within her body. She squeezed her eyes closed, and muttered his name under her breath—praying for him to come to her aid. She was wrong to have ever trusted Gabe. And now, it might be too late to make amends. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her purse lying on the floor. It must have fallen. Biting her bottom lip as tears threatened to fall from the corners of her eyes, she continued to hold her stomach with her left hand while she _**used her free hand to move around the objects hidden inside the drawer. She saw a vial with some sort of red concoction…among several burner phones and a medieval mace? She picked up the only burner phone that wasn't inside a plastic bag. Against her best judgment, she turned it on. As she waited for the mobile device to boot up, she placed it beside her and pulled out the mace. Why would Gabe have a mace hidden inside a dresser drawer? **_

_**She pointed her phone's light at the spikes. Her stomach suddenly felt ill. She had seen those spikes before…, and if she was right about the when and where, she had every reason to pack up and leave Gabe's apartment as soon as possible. Just as she was about to lock up the dresser and sneak the items out to her car by use of the Fire Escape, she heard Gabe's bedroom door slam shut, causing her to jump a few inches into the air. **_

"_**Gabe!" she exclaimed after whipping around to find him standing a few feet in front of her. "I didn't hear you come in." **_

"_**You really couldn't keep your curiosity to yourself, could you Catherine." he said as she shined her phone light at his face. To her surprise, however, he didn't block the bright light; he just stared at her with a frown plastered on his face. **_

"_**Explain all of this." Catherine demanded. She gulped, uncomfortable with how close he was to her. Between the bedside dresser, the bed, wall and Gabe, she wasn't left with a lot of room to move if in case she needed to defend herself. **_

"_**I don't have to tell you anything." Gabe sneered and crossed his arms over his chest. At least he wasn't preparing to attack her. **_

"_**I think I deserve an explanation." She retorted.**_

"_**Why? So you can run off and tell Vincent?" Gabe raised his eyebrow, but did not change his expression. **_

"_**No." Catherine shook her head, even though he was speaking part of the truth. "I'm tired of lies, Gabe. If you don't have a valid explanation for all of this, and for those files on your desk, I'll walk out that door and never come back." **_

"_**And what if I don't tell you?" **_

"_**Then yes, I will go tell Vincent, and for once, I'll let him be the judge, jury and maybe the executioner." Catherine replied with a shaky voice. **_

"_**Fair enough." Gabe suddenly shrugged. "I guess I have no choice then." **_

"_**No choice for what? Kill me? Kill Vincent?" **_

"_**No." he shook his head, "I can't kill you, Catherine. If I do, Vincent will be chasing my ass for as long as I live. I obviously can't kill Vincent, but there **__**is**__** someone I **__**can**__** kill—or rather, have an arranged kill."**_

"_**You're bluffing."**_

"_**Am I?" Gabe challenged. "Then let's see how your sister, Heather, is faring in Miami. Perhaps a few good pals of mine can have some fun with her." **_

"_**Keep my sister out of this." Catherine frowned, giving Gabe an implied threat. "She doesn't know anything about beasts; I want to keep it that way." **_

"_**Well, if I call my friends up, I'm sure that can still be arranged." Gabe smirked. **_

_**Catherine sighed in defeat. "Fine. What do you want of me?" **_

"_**Let's see…do what I say when I say it, and don't say a word about what you found today. If you do, I will have your sister killed, Catherine. You can count on that. Do we have an agreement?" **_

_**If only to save Heather? Then, "Yes." Catherine nodded. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to get home. Fishes to feed, you know?" **_

"_**You don't own fishes." Gabe deadpanned. **_

"_**Then take a hint." Catherine retorted as she pushed Gabe out of her way and headed for his bedroom door. She walked out into the living room, and grabbed her purse. Gabe followed her, and grabbed her arm. **_

"_**Wait." **_

"_**What?" **_

"_**How do I know you won't tell Vincent the moment you walk out of here?" **_

"_**The same way you'll know if I do." Catherine challenged him. She has just about had it with men and manipulation. At this point in time in her life, a nunnery wasn't a bad option for her to consider. "Now, if you don't mind, let me go." **_

"_**I didn't say you could leave yet." Gabe said and squeezed her arm tighter. "You did agree to basically being my personal slave back there." **_

_**As if. Catherine ripped her arm out of his grip and slammed her foot into his chest, knocking him backwards. "I'll leave when I want to leave." **_

_**She turned around and started storming out of Gabe's apartment. However, she heard him sprint towards her. The next thing she knew, she felt claws sinking into her body. They ripped across her stomach at an angle, causing her to immediately double over in pain. **_

_**She looked up at her assailant, and saw fangs, claws and yellow eyes. Shock washed over her. "G-gabe…y-your b-beast!" Catherine muttered slowly as blood spewed out of her mouth. **_

_**Anger swept across Gabe's face; something was different though. He wasn't as horrid-looking as the last time. It was almost like he also had an upgrade like Vincent. He started for her again, but she whipped out a tranquilizer gun from her purse and aimed it at him. Without a moment to lose, she fired three tranquilizers into his leg, making him lose consciousness and fall to the floor. **_

_**Catherine pulled herself up to stand, and zigzagged out of Gabe's apartment, hoping that she would make it home in time to dress it.**_

...reached for her purse. She stretched her arm muscles as far as she could, but her purse wasn't close enough. As her vision started to feel hazy, her right hand slipped off of her stomach, and her left hand went limp.

There was only a matter of time now.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

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**Keiko Fujiwara: How was it? Did you like the style? **

**Note that this work of fanfiction is only planned for at most 4 chapters. I will not extend it further than 4 chapters, as I have a plan for the story. In my free time tomorrow, I will write and add chapter 2. Three and four will come eventually. **


	2. Part 2

**Keiko Fujiwara: Thank you for the awesome reviews! :) By the way, was the last chapter hard to understand due to the past & present changes? This installment (as far as my plan is) will not go in and out of time.**

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**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

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**A Matter of Time**

**Part 2**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

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**-Vincent-**

The air seemed chillier than usual; the wind was bitterly cold as it blew strongly across his face. Although he didn't like it, he walked away from _her_, knowing a romantic relationship with someone like Gabe would make her happy. He had caused her too much heartache, and even though he desperately wanted to hold her in his arms this Valentine's Day and kiss her warm, glossy lips, he knew walking away was the best decision on his part. Catherine deserved a better man, and he knew that better man wasn't him. She was with Gabe now—a man who could make her happy. She's dated a 'dead' man before; the only difference? Gabe wasn't a beast like he was. As far as he could tell, Gabe was human—a genuine human who cared for Catherine. Perhaps, he even loved her.

The thoughts of losing her poisoned Vincent's heart, but as long as Catherine was happy, he could endure the emotional pain and heartache.

For some reason, he didn't feel like going back to the houseboat, at least not yet. He couldn't go back to the Gentlemen's Guild either—in case JT and Tess decided to end the supposedly romantic night with a romantic rendezvous. So, instead, he slowly made his way to Central Park. Alone, he took a seat on a bench overlooking the heights of New York City, and decided to close his eyes and clear his mind.

'Catherine was happy,' he kept reminding himself. 'It's for the best.' No matter how many times he thought about Catherine's happiness, a nagging feeling didn't seem to go away. Something felt off, but he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was only the broken heart emanating from his chest that made him feel weary. What else could be the explanation?

Needing to do _something_, he pushed himself off of the bench and walked away from the park. He needed someone to talk to; he needed someone to hear his thoughts, but not chastise him for his actions. Mindlessly, he wandered off to the subway tunnels, boarded a train and watched the dark walls race past him as he stared out of the window across the aisle. The trip wasn't long, but necessary. Other than Catherine and JT, there was only one other person in his life who knew him inside and out.

When he left the subway, he meandered up the steps and walked out onto the dark, dim-lit streets. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of the 9/11 fountain memorials glowing in the distance. The last time he was there, he was with Catherine.

Was there anything in this goddamned city that wouldn't continuously remind him of Catherine?

He doubted it.

Slowly and in no hurry, he walked past the memorial and stopped when he reached his destination. He knelt down before his oldest brother's tombstone, and heaved an audible sign. "You have no idea how messed up my life is, William." He muttered softly as he spoke to the dead. "And," he laughed dryly, "You never will get the chance."

He placed his hand on top of the tombstone and patted it as if he were patting Will's head right now. Even though he heard no response resonating from the bodiless tomb, he continued to lament his sorrows. "Maybe that's why I'm here...because I can just say whatever the hell I want, and I wouldn't have to bear with anyone's scrutiny tonight."

He ran his hand through his hair, and stood back up. He jammed his hands into his pocket, but didn't move away from the grave. "You know what's crazy? All this time, I thought I had volunteered for some stupid program so I could continue to save lives. But you know what?" He felt anger searing through his body. He wanted to bash his foot into the neighboring gravestone. He wanted to, but he managed to calm his nerves down before continuing his lamentations. He knelt down again before the grave and sighed. "You know what?" he asked in a hushed voice, "Like everything else in my life, someone else was pulling the strings." He paused. "I guess I'll never be able to catch a break, will I?" He waited for an answer. Maybe he was crazy, but he was desperate. He needed someone he could trust at the moment—someone who wasn't preoccupied for the holiday. When no one replied, he licked his lips and nodded his head. "With everything I've done, I'm not surprised I'm being punished."

Suddenly, he felt two tears fall down his face; he quickly wiped the away, but more followed. His nose began to burn, and as much as he wanted to hide his pain and his heartache, he couldn't hold it all in any longer. "I love her, William. I love her so much that I decided it was best for her to be with a man that could make her happy. She deserves someone far better than me, but it hurts and the pain I feel right now is almost too unbearable." He paused and sniffed loudly before emitting another empty laugh. "I never thought I could experience anything more painful than the bullet she placed in my chest, but…losing her…no," he swallowed, "…letting her go...," he licked his lips, "letting her go…it can't even compare."

He closed his eyes as he felt his own heart crying inside his chest. He thought of William and his wife, Rachel. For years, Will and Rachel were engaged. Hell, they continuously broke their engagement off, but, in the end, they managed to sort through their problems, marry and conceive a child a year after their wedding ceremony.

Will and Rachel's relationship had been a picnic in a park compared to Vincent's current love life. "How'd you do it, man?" Vincent asked his brother's grave, "How'd you manage to hold onto the woman of your dreams, and never let her go?"

Before Vincent could say anything else, he heard someone's footsteps approaching Will's grave. "Who are you?" A familiar voice shouted; it was obvious that the figure in the distance couldn't see Vincent's face—it was too dark. However, when Vincent looked to his left, his night vision told him everything he needed to know about the person standing ten feet away from him. Aaron.

"Relax, kid." Vincent said stoically as he quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, and stood up. He backed away from Will's gravesite, and held up his hands in defense. "I dropped my wallet somewhere around here, and was trying to look for it."

"You're lying," Aaron immediately answered, "I heard you talkin' to my dad's tomb; I'll ask again nicely, who are you?" The young man cautiously approached Vincent, but the beast dared not move. He couldn't risk his nephew learning of his face, and then finding out what he really is.

Aaron's heart was beating exponentially fast. Vincent could sense his nephew's nervous curiosity. "I think you already know…Aaron." Vincent knew Aaron recognized his voice—he had heard it before a few months back. Aaron shined his flashlight into Vincent's face, and nearly jumped out of his shoes. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Vincent teased, but there wasn't any joy hinted within his vocal tone.

"You have no right being here," Aaron replied with a frown when he recovered from his shock. "I don't care _what_ Mom says, you shouldn't be here."

"Why's that?" Vincent crossed his arms against his chest and looked at his nephew, challenging his spirit.

"Because you decided to hide out for 11 years, instead of coming home and letting us know you were alive." Aaron replied, still frowning. "My mom was glad to learn of your little Jack Bauer story; at first, I was too. But then I remembered the fires; you were within two feet of me, and yet you lied to my face."

"Aaron," Vincent walked towards his nephew, but Aaron stepped backwards. "I can expl—"

"Explain?! You think you can explain telling the world you're alive, but still made no effort to visit or reconnect with family?! I told my mom we should confront you; however, she believed we needed to wait until you were ready to visit us. Your life was obviously different now, and you apparently went through a lot. I figured what the hell, you know? You'd drop by soon enough. _That _was about two months ago, and you still haven't done anything. I told my mom not to sweat over it; you didn't care about us—hell, for all we knew, you didn't even remember us."

"I didn't," Vincent quickly replied, "At, first, in the hospital, I didn't remember you. Yes, I had lost my memory, but upon our encounter, I regained bits and pieces of my past. You were a kid the last time I saw you, so I didn't expect you to remember me either."

"So that time, in the hospital, when you were having some sort of panic attack—you were having a flashback?"

"You could say that. I remembered you and your mother as well as William back at that hospital." Vincent nodded.

"So you're telling me you've known about Mom and me for months, and yet you _still_ decided to ignore your family."

"That's not what I said."

"That's what you meant." Aaron fired back.

Vincent felt the beast resonating within his body. He swallowed a gulp of cold air, and released a sigh to help calm down his nerves. "Look, Aaron. I know I have no right to receive the Uncle of the Year Award, but let's not do this now. Yeah?"

"Why not? Afraid of confrontation?"

"No. Look," Vincent sighed, "I don't have the best control when I'm angry; when I get angry, bad things happen. So, for both of our sakes, I'm going to jet before the storm starts to thunder and lightning."

Vincent started to walk away, but Aaron grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "I'm not done yet."

"Trust me, kid, you are." Vincent replied as he closed his eyes to swallow his beast's anger.

"Look," Aaron released Vincent's arm, "At least, before you leave, I want some explanations. Who knows if I'll ever see you again, Uncle Vincent." This wasn't the fire inspector talking—it was the needy, little boy Vincent knew and loved oh so many years ago.

Vincent sighed. "You really want to do this now?"

"Yes."

"Fine," Vincent forced out. "You want to know the reason I didn't show up after making the National News?" Aaron nodded, but didn't say anything. "For one reason, I've been dealing with quite a lot of shit lately; I haven't had time to think about a happy family reunion since I came out of the shadows. Oh and another thing? When I _did _think about it, I realized I should just stay away. Bad things happen around me, and I didn't want to get you or your mother in the crossfire. Also, like you said, I've been dead for eleven years—I've been in hiding from a large threat, and just when I thought I was in the clearing, another damned faction wants to get their hands on me. Now you tell me, Aaron, if I _had_ returned home, would you and your mother still look at me the same way? Or, would you think I'm some walking time bomb just waiting to explode in your household?"

"I'm sure we would have adjusted," Aaron replied.

"Maybe, or _maybe_ you'd find out just how screwed up I am, and then want nothing more to do with me. Bad things happen around me, and I mean it." Vincent stated boldly. "Now, I've got somewhere to be."

It wasn't a total lie, just a ruse to get out from underneath Aaron's microscope.

"If it's PTSD…"

Vincent rolled his eyes, "It's not PTSD, Aaron. I can assure you of that."

"Then what is it?"

"I wish I could tell ya, kid." Vincent replied. Before he could say anything else, his phone had buzzed inside his pocket. He pulled it out and answered it, waving a 'one-moment' finger at his nephew. "Hello?"

"_V, you've gotta get down to Gabe's loft and quick!" _JT stated without greeting him.

"Why?"

"_Just get here!"_

"Wait…Why're you at Gabe's in the first place?" Vincent asked, perplexed.

"_No time for explanations! Just get your beasty ass over here! Oh, and if Cat's with you, bring her too." _

"She's not with me."

Vincent heard JT's gulp echo from the phone. _"On second thought, don't come here; go find Catherine. Tess and I will handle the Gabe situation here." _

"What Gabe situation? What're you talking about?" Vincent demanded to know. His heart raced tenfold as JT struggled to find his words.

Suddenly, he heard some noises in the background and _"Hey!"_ sounding from his phone's speaker. _"Vincent,"_ this time, it was Tess. _"Someone from a lower apartment called 911 about thirty minutes ago. The new boss knew I lived near Gabe's penthouse, so he asked me to jump the scene. We got here as soon as possible, and managed to arrive before the rest of the units. We found Gabe lying on the floor—he had three tranquilizer darts sticking out of his right leg, but there's no sign of Catherine. According to JT, Gabe's been down for the count for about thirty minutes now. _

"Say no more," Vincent replied to Tess, "I'll find her."

"_Wait," _Tess quickly said, _"You need to know something." _

"What?"

"_On our way up here, we found a trail of blood tracking back to the parking garage."_

"Why do I get the feeling you haven't said the worse part yet?" Vincent's stomach dropped.

"_Because I haven't. Vincent…Cat's car is not in the garage, and she's not answering her cell phone."_

In seconds, Vincent ended the call and shoved his phone into his pocket. He started to storm off but Aaron stopped him. "So that's it? You get one phone call and you're leaving?"

"I'm sorry, but someone I deeply care about could be in danger. I've already lost her to another man tonight." He swallowed, "I refuse to lose her for a second time. You might be too young to understand, but sometimes the answer "no" is not an option."

"You love someone…" Aaron stated.

"Yes, I do. She means the world to me, and I'm fine with her being with another man if it makes her happy. However, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happens to her."

"Go, then. If she's in danger, she's going to need you more than I do right now."

Vincent looked at him in shock, and then smiled softly. "You know, you turned out all right, kid."

"Hey, I might be a stubborn hothead, but I'm not a dumbass." Aaron smirked. "Now what're you waiting for? Get your ass out of here; I don't want to see you until she's safe and sound."

"Count on it." Vincent nodded. With heart and mind set for Catherine, Vincent raced away from the cemetery—not caring what his nephew might think. That would be tomorrow's problem.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Vincent zipped through the underbelly of the city, and didn't stop running until he was standing in front of Catherine's apartment complex. He jumped up and landed on her fire escape before forcing her window open. Thankfully, it wasn't locked, but he was in a hurry. He could smell her blood a mile back. After he climbed through her window, he could see blood trailing into her bedroom and inside her bathroom. First, he turned on her bathroom's light and prayed that she was in there. She wasn't. However, the pile of blood staining the white tiles did not go unnoticed. Neither did her torn dress.

He walked out into her hallway, and panicked when he saw a pale, lifeless hand beyond her couch. "Catherine!" he called out her name as he ran to her. She was completely naked and blood was pouring out of her stomach. However, he didn't care about her nakedness. It wasn't the first time he's seen her naked body.

By the large puddle growing around her as well as the droplets trailing around her apartment, he had to guess that she had to have lost at least 20% of her blood.

He pressed his hands against her stomach to try and slow down the bleeding. His mind was racing; at that point, he didn't care what or who had done this. He only wanted her alive again. Her skin was pale and clammy; she was sweating, breathing rapidly and unconsciousness. Hypervolemic shock. Vincent swallowed a lump of bile as he tried to stop more blood from leaving his love's body. There was only so much he could do. He repositioned her body and elevated her feet about a foot into the air.

There was nothing he could do here—she needed a hospital. He noticed her phone buzzing amongst the items scattered about the kitchen floor. He took off his jacket and placed it over her to try and keep her warm. As he kept pressure on her stomach with one hand, he reached for her phone, and ended the oncoming call. Quickly and desperately, Vincent punched nine once and one twice with his thumb. He placed the phone against his ear, and held it with his shoulder blade as he applied more pressure to her stomach. Her breathing was becoming shallower.

When the phone didn't connect, he pulled it from his ear and checked its battery status. 5 % left. Damn! He didn't have time to wait for an ambulance anyway; he could get Catherine to a hospital faster than if a Ferrari was pulling an ambulance across the highway. In seconds, he raced away from her in search of medical supplies. He found a large, tubular compression gauze bandage in her bathroom sink. It would have to do. He returned to her limp body, and carefully wrapped the bandage around her abdomen. It wouldn't stop the bleeding per se, but it would slow it down and buy him some time as he moved her to a hospital. He unbuckled his belt, wrapped it around the gauze and tightened the leathered strap as much as possible without hindering her ability to breathe.

It was only a matter of time before death would claim her. He needed to act fast, and the best thing for her was a hospital. Noticing her bathrobe hanging on the couch's armrest, he grabbed it and slipped it on her to keep her warm. After securing her in his arms, he kept her legs elevated, and headed for her fire escape. In seconds, he jumped onto the street and started running towards New York General. Flashes of her step-father's wedding flooded into his mind as he carried her close to him. Last time, he made the mistake of forcing someone else to take her to the hospital; this time, however, things will be different.

She was going to get the proper care she needed; he wasn't going to leave her side until she was stabilized. Then, he would find out who the hell did this to her, and he will kill him. Claw marks, as large as they were on Catherine's stomach, weren't from just any animal or knife—they belonged to a beast.

"Just hang on, Catherine. Please, hang on for me." He prayed to her as he ran through the dark, midnight streets of New York City. "Please."

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

* * *

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I bet this chapter was easier (style-wise) to read. Third chapter might not be up until later this week as I have to work on homework now. :/ **

**Sucks to have to lead double lives. :/ **

**What did you think? Should I continue to Chapter 3?**


	3. Part 3

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**How about that episode everyone? (I am referring to BATB 2.14 "Redemption.") Honestly, I thought this episode was very well done, and perhaps it is one of my most favorites so far! :) **

**Sadly, VinCat are still on the road to recovery, BUT I think Catherine is starting to see Gabe's true colors! That's a good thing, right?**

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**IMPORTANT NOTE BEFORE YOU READ THE CHAPTER****: I am not sure how long it has been since the "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" episode, but for this FanFiction, I have the power invested in me to make it about 2.5 months… I remember some episodes were only within a day a part (like "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Man or Beast," and "Don't Die On Me." **

**Even if it has been more than 2.5 months in the actual TV show time, just bear with me. ^_^**

* * *

**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

**A Matter of Time**

**Part 3**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Hours have passed since Catherine's surgery, but her body was in dire condition; she had lost up to 50 percent of her blood upon Vincent's arrival to the hospital. If he had arrived a moment later, the doctors mightn't have gotten to her in time. During surgery, she had to have an emergency splenectomy, causing her to go into Hypovolemic Shock twice. Vincent was stir-crazy throughout the entire operation; he wanted to oversee the medical team work diligently on his love, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he could handle it. It sickened him to see her so helpless, but because he wasn't a licensed doctor anymore her life was out of his hands.

Now, she lay on a hospital bed in ICU, fighting for her life.

She was stabilized, for now, but there was no telling what could happen in the future. The doctors believe that as long as she doesn't contract an infection, she should recover in time, but she will be out of commission for several weeks if not months depending on her condition when or if she leaves the hospital.

"It will be okay, V. You'll see." JT whispered as Vincent covered his hand over Catherine's. "She's a fighter."

Vincent didn't say anything. He wanted all of his time and energy to be focused on Catherine. If she made the slightest movement or sign of consciousness, he wanted to be the first to know about it. Not once did he move from his spot since she was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit. Every time he heard her breathe harsh, ragged breaths, his insides ached. He hated seeing her hooked up to so many machines. What's worse? He knew how each of them functioned and the fact that the love of his life was hooked up to a ventilator and a feeding tube wasn't a good sign.

Normally the hospital wouldn't let patients have visitors so late within the night, but since Captain Vincent Keller seemed to be 'more than just an acquaintance' to Detective Catherine Chandler, they made an exception. After all, the former soldier, at one time, used to serve as a doctor in one of the neighboring hospitals. The medical staff had no choice but to let Tess and JT in as well—how could they resist saying no to an NYPD official?

"Come on, JT; let's leave Vincent alone. He's obviously not in the right mind to talk right now." Tess whispered. "Let's get some coffee. God knows I need it."

"Okay," JT nodded. He patted his best friend on the back of his shoulder before following Tess out of Catherine's hospital room. When they were half way down the hallway, JT finally said, "So, you think Gabe did this to her?"

"Who else could it be?" Tess asked as she looked at the professor. "I mean, I doubt Vincent would ever hurt her like that, and I'm pretty sure all other beasts were eliminated. Besides, you saw the blood on Gabe's fingertips; not to mention the tranquilizer darts."

"I know, but how could we have missed it? Again?! He was able to hide his beast so well in the past using those freakin' pills. Why didn't Vincent sense anything from him like he did before?" JT sighed. "Honestly, that ADA has no limits when it comes to him getting on my nerves."

"No kidding. I feel bad, though. I was the one who encouraged Cat to date him…." Tess confessed. "If only I had kn—"

"Hey, it's not your fault, Tess. No one could have known, besides, if V couldn't sense Gabe on his internal Beast-O-Meter, what makes you think you would have?" JT raised his eyebrow as the semi-couple took their seats inside the hospital's café. Tess shrugged so JT continued. "Anyway, Gabe is locked up—there's nothing he can do to hurt Cat as long as he remains in that dungeon we found a few weeks ago."

"That's all great, but there's always a chance someone my stumble upon that dungeon. Then what would we do?" Tess questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into her chair. "Induce Brain Wash on anyone and everyone who comes across the dungeon by accident?"

"That's actually not a bad idea." JT smiled.

Tess smacked him in the arm. "We are _not_ doing that."

"I was only kidding! You know, lighting up the mood?" JT threw his arms up in defense. "I installed a surveillance system inside and outside of the dungeon for multiple reasons. One, in case someone _does_ wonder over in that direction, I can press a button on my computer, and the whole building goes on lockdown. Two, now that we have a prisoner in there, I'll be able to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything sketchy while he's held captive. So, you shouldn't worry Tess. V and I had this all figured out days ago."

"You anticipated throwing Gabe down there?" Tess raised her eyebrow and crossed her right knee over her other.

"No, of course not. However, we figured the dungeon could come to use in case we _do_ encounter other beasts. Vincent made it clear that he wants to try to stop killing beasts…that is, if he ever runs across one again. He wants Cat back so he's going to try his best and behave himself." JT stated and took off his glasses to clean them with his plaid shirt. "However, _if_ Gabe was the one who attacked Catherine—I can't say for sure that he did since I haven't tested the blood I scraped off of his fingers yet—but, if he did, I have a feeling Vincent isn't going to shed the guy any mercy."

"You're probably right." She sighed. "I guess this is just going to be one of those things we'll have to play by ear."

"Touché." JT nodded. Quietly, he stood up and stretched his legs. "I'm going to get some coffee. What would you like?"

"Caramel Macchiato would be great." Tess faked a smile. It was hard to show happiness when, in the back of her mind, all she could think of was Cat. The doctors have done all they could do for her—now, it was Cat's turn to show the world how strong she is.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Vincent grew weary, but he refused to fall asleep. He couldn't risk not being there for her if she needed him. As he leaned over to kiss her forehead, he heard someone walk into the room. "How'd you get in here?" He didn't have to turn around to know who it was standing behind him.

"I told the staff you were my uncle—which is true—so they let me in. Forget about me, though, how is she?" Aaron asked as he walked further into the room. "She's the one who was with you when you helped us on that Arson case, right?"

"Yeah. She's the one." Vincent flashed a fake smile. "Anyway, she's stable right now. She had massive hemorrhaging so the doctors have been giving her blood transfusions almost every two hours. She's fighting for her life right now…"

"If she can handle you, she must be one tough-ass woman. She'll make it." Aaron placed his hand on his uncle's shoulder. "Have you gotten the bastard who did this to her?"

"I've been here with her all night, but the situation is being taken care of." Vincent confirmed. "Once Catherine's on the road to recovery, I'll make sure to pay him a visit."

"So he's locked up?"

"Sort of…" was all Vincent would say.

"By the way," Aaron continued, "I won't pry or anything but just answer one question."

"What?"

"Did you go into hiding for ten years because of what the army _did_ to you?" Aaron asked, not blinking for a second.

"W-what do mean?" Vincent stuttered, "like steroids or something?"

"Or something."

Vincent turned his attention back to Catherine. "I think it's time for you to go home, Aaron. Your mom must be worried sick."

"Look, like I said, I'm not a dumbass. It wasn't hard to put two and two together, Uncle V. I saw you disappear like a boss earlier tonight—don't try to deny it or tell me it was too dark because we both know I had a flashlight with me. I don't need to know details or hear your sob story. I just want to know the answer to that one question."

Vincent sighed. "Yes. I went into hiding because of what happened to me over there. That's all you need to know, and that's probably all I'll ever tell you. Like I said earlier tonight, bad things happen to me—especially those who know my secret." When he said that last bit, he squeezed Catherine's hand, mentally praying that she would show some sign of life.

"Did you tell her that?" Aaron asked, nodding towards Catherine.

"She knew the risks." Vincent replied.

"So, I'm guessing someone 'like' you did that to her?"

"Smart kid." Vincent nodded. "Now, unless you want the other doctors to learn that I actually know _what_ did this to her, we've gotta move onto a different subject. As far as the hospital knows, Catherine suffered from an animal attack."

"Fair enough." Aaron nodded. "So, when are you going to see my mom?"

"You're honestly asking that? Now?" Vincent looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Just testing you; wanted to see where your priorities lie. It's obvious you have quite a moral compass." Aaron smirked.

"Not moral," Vincent shook his head. "Loyal, maybe, but not moral."

"I see." Aaron answered awkwardly.

"Yeah."

"So…have the two of you been…you know…since you came back from Afghanistan?" Aaron asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

"No…, but I'm not going to share my love life with you; that's just too weird." Vincent replied.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"No. I am right."

"Sure."

"Do you…have a girlfriend?" Vincent asked, but keeping his attention on Catherine.

"Not at the moment." Aaron scratched his head.

"Too bad." Vincent forced a smirk. "Then again, I'm not sure there's a woman alive who could handle your cocky attitude other than your mother."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Aaron rolled his eyes. "It's been a nice chat, I guess, but you're right; I should be getting home. I'll try to stop by sometime tomorrow to see how she's doing." Aaron said as he started to stand up and stretch his legs. "Hang in there, Uncle V. If she loves you as much as you think she does, she'll pull through."

"Thanks." Vincent nodded before his nephew left the ICU. Vincent honestly didn't know _where_ her heart lay. He hoped it was with him, but for twisted humor's sake, she might be in love with Gabe instead.

God. He hoped not.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

About an hour later, Vincent heard two pairs of footsteps making their way back into Catherine's room. They were bickering about something, but because Vincent was focused on Catherine's total being, he didn't really pay them any attention. Upon entering into the room, JT and Tess immediately stopped talking.

"Is she doing any better?"

"No…the same." Vincent replied.

At least he was socializing, JT thought.

"That's good at least." Tess smiled. "Being stable has to count for something, right?"

"Right." JT agreed. "Soon enough, Cat will be as good as new! You'll see!"

"We shall see." He sighed.

"Anyway," Tess cleared her throat, causing both men to look at her. "A warm and cozy conversation is not why we came up here, Vincent."

"Then what?" Vincent gave Tess a questioning look. He glanced over at JT who was giving Tess a 'WTF' look. Something was wrong. He could sense it.

"This isn't easy for me to say…, but I think you at least should know about it before it's made public." Tess replied.

"What is it?"

"Ixnay on the alkingtay…" JT mumbled, causing Tess to roll her eyes and Vincent to glare at him. "Please continue, Tess." He added, not liking the chills he received from Vincent's death glare.

"As I was saying…I just got a call from one of our CSU specialists, and because the landlord noticed blood trailing to Cat's apartment, they were called in to investigate. They didn't find any evidence linking Cat's assault to Gabe…if it be him…; however, they did find something else…."

"What did they find?"

"…a fetus…"

"What?" Vincent asked, in shock. "What are you saying, Tess?"

"I'm saying Cat was pregnant when she was attacked." Tess said slowly.

Vincent felt sick. "Why are you telling me this? Should you be telling _Gabe_ about it?"

"You're not getting what I'm saying, Vincent." Tess sighed. "If the child was Gabe's, I would have told him…or maybe I wouldn't have. But that's beside the point." She shook her head. "It was confirmed by CSU that the fetus…which they found amongst the blood in her bathroom…was at least 10 weeks….dating back to around Thanksgiving time. Now, think really hard, Vincent…. Did the two of you ever…"

Vincent clamped his mouth with his hands. The last time he and Catherine were romantically involved was back at Reynolds's house….which was Thanksgiving Day. Vincent gulped. "She was…pregnant…with…with my…." He couldn't even finish the statement. "Why didn't she tell me?!" He frowned, his eyes starting to glow.

"I don't think she knew." Tess replied. "After everything that's happened, are you surprised? When would she have had time to get a pregnancy test? Besides, not all women get sickness, Vincent; Catherine's no exception."

"But…if she was carrying _my_ DNA…, it sh-should hav—"

"Not necessarily," JT cut in. "V, since you've been injected, have you ever gotten sick?"

"No."

"Then since the fetus carried half of your DNA in it, it probably prevented Cat from getting sick." JT stated.

Vincent took a moment to absorb all of this information. "I know this might sound insensitive and horrible, but we need to get that fetus back…. Like JT said, it has…or had my DNA within it…if someone tests for the father…there's no telling what he or she might find."

"_We'll_ worry about that," Tess stated as she nodded her head towards JT. "You, however, get some sleep. The doctors will be here if Catherine needs anything."

"I don't think I can sleep…"

"Try, V. Just try." JT said. Before he knew it, he was once alone with Catherine in the hospital room. He turned to her and leaned over to kiss her head again.

Against her ear, he whispered, "Stay strong, Catherine. I know you can fight. Give everything you've got. Our story isn't over yet, my love. Our story isn't over yet."

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

* * *

**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**Dun-Dun-Dunnnnnnnnn**

**Okay, so what I have planned for this story is going to take more than 4 chapters. So…expect a little bit more to the story than just 4 chappies! **

**Can't wait for the next episode! :)**

**Review!? **


	4. Part 4

**Keiko Fujiwara: I have some downtime :) **

**Can it be March 3****rd**** yet? LOL That promo had me on the edge of my seat! O.O**

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**Thank you to Azucar for the idea of this chapter. :)**

* * *

**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

**A Matter of Time**

**Part 4**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

She could hear, but she couldn't respond. She could feel, but she couldn't react. She could exist, but she couldn't _be_.

She heard beeps, lots and lots of beeping noises. She heard incoherent voices talking around her, near her, beside her. Their words were disjointed; it was like she was trapped inside a room, and people were trying to talk to her through a wall, but she couldn't understand them.

She felt pain; it wasn't intense but her agony was slowly trying to resurface, and she hated the feeling of discomfort. She felt weak; air was pumping in and out of her lungs, but she knew she wasn't the one forcing the action. She tried moving her fingers; she couldn't. She tried speaking, but her throat burned. However, despite the uneasiness she felt, _he_ was holding her hand and kissing her forehead. _He _was next to her—he loved her; she could feel it, sense it and embrace it. _He_ was the reason she wasn't ready to let go.

Catherine knew something was wrong with her; her mind was awake, but something was keeping her from waking up. For all she knew, it could have been the anesthetics or even trauma. Whatever it was, she didn't like feeling trapped and helpless. She wanted to wake up and embrace the man sitting next to her, but she couldn't.

Aware, but never fully awake.

As she felt Vincent's hand holding her own, she heard a female voice—possibly Tess—say something. She didn't make out the entire conversation, but for some reason, her mind was able to process one word: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving…

Thanks…giving…

Thanks…

…giving…

"_You've been so worried about what's been going on, but you are fine." She smiled at him lovingly. Without warning, she gently grabs his face with her hands and pulls him into a short kiss. _

_Vincent pulls back and smirks, "No, no, no, no; it's your __**Dad**__'s place." _

_Catherine grinned as she scrunched up her nose. "Oh, it's like we're in high school!"_

"_Or an alternate universe." Vincent replies, causing Catherine to laugh. Catherine kisses him again, and cups his neck. This time, Vincent didn't complain. As their kisses deepened, Catherine snaked her arms around Vincent's broad shoulders and ran her left hand through his hair. She could feel Vincent's arms enclosing around her back as he pulled her closer to him. _

_As minutes flew by, clothes were tossed in different directions, and the two lovers melted into one another, not caring for the guttural noises they were creating while making love. _

_Catherine closed her eyes as she felt her boyfriend's large hands caressing her body. He was careful in every way, but at the same time, he had managed to set her body on fire. Despite his memory lapse, she could feel…no…sense how much Vincent Keller loves her. She hoped, soon, that the love of her life would eventually regain all of the memories he had lost while missing for three long months. _

_Although she had adjusted her life to the new Vincent Keller making love with her, their relationship still wasn't the same as it had been; she still felt like something was missing—something other than his memories. _

"_What's on your mind?" Vincent asked as he ran his fingers through her sweaty, matted hair. _

"_It's nothing." She smiled at him before placing a light kiss on his large palm. _

"_No really, what is it?" he sneered as his fingers started tickling her naked stomach. She giggled and squirmed from his delightful touch, but she certainly was no match for a beast. If anything, she managed to slip from underneath the covers and jog away from the bed. Vincent easily caught up to her, and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his strong embrace. His arms were wrapped firmly around her middle, and her back was leaning against his chest. Vincent kissed the top of her head as he walked over to the window. The sheer white curtains masked their nakedness from the rest of the world, but it didn't stop them from being able to look outside and marvel the outdoors. _

"_I was just thinking about us, that's all." Catherine muttered. She spun around in his arms, and gave Vincent a very sincere look. "Do you think you'll ever fully remember me?" _

"_I don't know." Vincent replied honestly. He brought his left hand to the back of her head, and cradled it as his fingers tangled into her hair. "But…if it'll make you feel better, I hope they do come back." _

"_Do you?" _

_Vincent nodded. He leaned down and gave Catherine a sweet kiss. "Look on the bright side, Catherine; even though I might not be able to remember everything right now, we are still able to create __**new**__ memories with one another." _

_Catherine smiled lightly. "You're right." _

"_I know." He smirked. Before any more words were said, he pulled her in for another deep kiss. She wrapped her arms and legs around his standing form, and poured her heart, mind and soul into the man kissing her lips. "Now," Vincent gently ripped his lips away from hers, and leaned his forehead against hers. "If we want to be downstairs in time for dinner, we're going to need to clean up, and head back downstairs." _

"_Shower sex?" she sneered, "I'm down for that." _

_Vincent laughed. "Good to know." He placed his hands firmly on her buttocks to keep her from falling off of him, and walked towards the bathroom. "How long do you think we have until Gabe gets here?" _

"_An hour? Maybe less?" Catherine shrugged. _

_Vincent sighed with frustration. "Looks like we're going to have to take a rain check on the Double 'S'. I can hear your phone buzzing; it's probably Gabe letting you know he's not far from Montauk." _

"_We could always skip the dinner and go straight to dessert," Catherine smiled devilishly. _

"_As tempting as that sounds," Vincent chuckled as he closed the door to the bathroom, "I don't think it would make a very great impression on your Dad…. He __**is**__ FBI, you know." _

_Catherine laughed as she watched Vincent turn on the shower faucet before stepping both of them into the shower chamber. "Are you afraid of my father—of Bob?" _

"_Should I not be?" _

"_I think, with the two of us, we can handle __**anything**__ together. I know you can't remember this…but the morning before Muirfield captured you, I had told you that I was going to stay for the ups and downs and the loop-di-loops. I just want you to know that it still stands; no matter what happens…no matter if you do or do not ever recover your memories…I won't go anywhere." Catherine replied. "I promise." _

"_I'm going to hold you to that, Catherine." he mumbled before pulling her in for another kiss as the hot, steamy water engulfed them. Catherine clutched the back of Vincent's hair as she felt his lips trail down her neck and towards her breast. Despite their concerns about the Thanksgiving dinner or about Gabe, neither lover could help themselves; their unsaid love and their bodies were drawn to one another. _

"_I love you, Vincent" Catherine mumbled against Vincent's wet skin as she kissed his collarbone. For whatever reason, Vincent had not heard her. He didn't stop to look at her or whisper "I love you" back. Catherine assumed he was too preoccupied with __**what**__ she was doing to him to perceive anything more than pleasure. She didn't mind though; there would be another time and different day to restate her feelings for him again. _

'_One day, Vincent,' she thought, 'you'll find out just how much I love you. God. I love you so much, Vincent…' _

_Vincent. _

_Vin…cent…_

"Vih…Vih…Vih…seh…" she heard her voice say as her lips tried to form the name engraved on her heart. There were too many tubes inside her mouth. She wanted to speak…to say his name without fail, but she couldn't.

Slowly, she was able to open her eyes; light shot into her pupils, making her eyes squint in pain.

She groaned in response.

She wanted to turn her head and look at the man she loved, but it was those damned tubes again!

She knew he was still in the room because his hand was covering hers; however, for some reason, he didn't hear her calling out for him. When she heard his peaceful snores, she understood why he didn't respond to her. Sometimes, even a beast, needs his rest.

So, she tried speaking louder.

"Viiih…Sehhh."

Still, the man was asleep.

Catherine refused to give up. Vincent would hear her eventually. As she called out his name again, she managed to caress his hand with her thumb. Perhaps a touch might suffice?

_Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…_

She could hear all of the different monitors bleeping in her ears, but she didn't want to hear those damn monitors. She wanted to hear _him_. So, she willed herself to try harder. "Viiihcehh."

She could feel tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Her voice continued to burn as she continually called out his name. She couldn't give up, but she was starting to worry about him. What if his constant worry over her drained his energy?

One last time, she called for him as loud as she could, and was at the point where she wanted to chuck him in the head with something hard. Had his worry really cause so much exhaustion? "Viiihcehh!"

Suddenly, she heard him snort himself awake to the sound of her voice. "C-Catherine?" his voice was filled with surprise, but mostly full of relief. She saw him hover over her, and could feel more tears fall from her eyes when she finally met his eyes. "Oh, thank God!" He exclaimed and leaned in to kiss her on the forehead.

He clasped her left hand within his palms and pulled her fingers to his face so she could feel him. She was still very weak from the amount of blood she had lost. Much of it has recovered, but she still felt very wobbly and out of sorts. When she touched his lips with her fingertips, she wanted to smile. She wanted to pull him down and kiss him right then and there.

Obviously, fantasies were going to have to wait.

"Thank God…," he repeated. "Thank God!"

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

"She's awake." Vincent whispered into his cell phone as he watched Catherine try to keep her eyes open. He couldn't blame her for wanting to stay awake; she's been unconscious for almost 12 hours—an amount of time that would make anyone want to never fall asleep again.

"_What? How? When?" _Vincent heard JT ask in full-panic mode.

"Don't worry about it," Vincent shook his head. "Just…Just know that she's awake. She cannot talk right now because of the ventilator and the feeding tube, but she _is_ wake. I thought you and Tess would want to know."

"_Thanks, buddy. By the way, we recovered the…item. I took it back to my lab for a further analysis."_

"Thanks…I've gotta go, now. The doctor is on his way in."

"_Okay…Take care." _

"Thanks." Vincent nodded before ending his phone call. He stared at Catherine, and held her hand until Dr. Miller, the head of the department, walked into the room. "Is everything all right?"

"Some of Miss Chandler's blood tests came back; for a woman who endures a severe injury to the abdomen, it is imperative to test for pregnancy whether or not the patient is pregnant. During surgery, Miss Chandler," Dr. Miller said as he looked directly at her, "there wasn't a sign of a child, but tests show you are pregnant. Because of the extent of her surgery and injury, she will not be released for at least two weeks; we need to monitor her pregnancy—be that she might be pregnant—as well as ensure she does not develop Peritonitis."

Vincent mentally slapped himself. He hadn't had a chance to tell Catherine about the miscarriage, and since the doctors haven't ordered an ultrasound, they don't know either. "Doc…do you mind if I have a word with you in the hallway?"

"Of course, right this way." Dr. Miller nodded as he led Vincent to the hallway. "What is it?"

"About Catherine's pregnancy…," Vincent paused, "…she's not pregnant."

"She's not?"

"No. When I found her…, I didn't say anything to her or to the medical team because I thought it would be irrelevant, but I found…the fetus…mixed in with her blood in the bathroom." Vincent somewhat lied. Most of it was true, just the part about him finding the fetus wasn't.

"Are you sure you found a fetus?"

"Yes, Dr. Miller, I am. I used to practice as a doctor myself; I would know." Vincent replied. "Is there anything else you want to tell Catherine?"

"No. I mainly visited to inform her of her prolonged stay in the hospital." The doctor said. "I must attend the rest of my rounds; I'm sure she's in good hands."

"Thanks." Vincent nodded as the doctor left him. He walked back inside Catherine's hospital room and took a seat next to her. "Hey," he smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"H-hiiii." She answered hoarsely.

"Listen…about what the doctor said…, you're not pregnant." Vincent replied sympathetically. He held her hand in his, and continued when she gave him a strange look. "The CSU team who investigated your room after you were brought to the hospital…well, they found…found a fetus within your blood inside the bathroom."

Catherine blinked once, and then twice. It was almost as if she was having a hard time understanding what Vincent was saying. Her face turned green. "I…waaa…prehhhgnehh?"

"Yeah…_we_ were going to have a baby." He sadly smiled. "But…, I guess _this time_ wasn't meant to be." He kissed her forehead and walked over to the other side of the bed before merging into bed with her. He held her gently, careful not to mess with her stitches or any of her tubes and wires. He helped her turn her face slightly so she could see him; tears were falling from her eyes. Vincent kissed her cheek as he ran his right palm over her slender arm. He laced his fingers with hers, and whispered, "Whatever you're thinking, it wasn't your fault."

Her lips were quivering; it was almost as if she was trying to cry but her vocal chords weren't letting her. He kissed her again; this time, his lips were pressing against the corner of her mouth. "Someday we'll try again, all right?"

She looked at him, her eyes gaining a little bit of hope.

"I promise…" Vincent mumbles against her jawline. "When…when things blow over for us, and when you and I can be together without having to have to fear about the next, big thing, we can then try again."

"Yuuuu…wahhhh…chiiil-eh [You want children]?"

"You have no idea," he responded before kissing her shoulder.

As if a wave of emotion washed over the detective, tears started to spill from her eyes. She was so happy that _her _Vincent is back; he was thinking about their future as a couple. "I…luhhh…yuuu."

"I love you too." Vincent smiled and closed his eyes. Both Beauty and the Beast needed their sleep. Since Catherine was awake, he wanted to let Gabe have it. 'But,' he yawned, 'he decided that _Gabe_ would be tomorrow's problem. Right now, he planned on being there for Catherine; he wasn't going to let her out of his sight ever again.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

* * *

**Keiko Fujiwara: More to come! Let me know what you think! :)**

**Okay, so what I have planned for this story is going to take more than 4 chapters. So…expect a little bit more to the story than just 4 chappies! **

**Can't wait for the next episode! :)**

**Review!? **


	5. Part 5

**Keiko Fujiwara: I promise I will resume "Always," "For Her," and "Shadow-Bound." This story will be a shorter work; I believe I'll have only a few more chapters left. During my spring break (week of March 10) I will upload each of the mentioned stories.**

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**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

**There will be a few IMPORTANT notes at the end of this chapter!**

* * *

**A Matter of Time**

**Part 5**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

While Vincent was still at the hospital with Catherine, JT and Tess decided to go to the dungeon in downtown New York, and play 20 Questions with former-ADA-to-be Gabriel Lowan. It has been three days since the incident, and now that the doctors were sure that Catherine was going to survive, they thought it was high time to get some answers from Gabe—even if he wasn't willing to talk.

"Remember," Tess said before either of them got out of the Hatchback, "whatever we do or say to Gabe, do _not_ open up the cell. The last thing we need is a rogue beast on our hands."

"Don't have to tell me twice," JT stated as he grabbed his tranquilizer gun. "If it was up to me, I would leave Gabe down there until he rots his ass off—especially after what he's done to Cat."

"Believe me," Tess nodded, "I want the same thing as well. However, we've got to tread this one carefully; Gabe _is_ an ADA—he'll know how to counter any case we build against him. Not to mention, he has a lot of buddies so _someone_ might report him missing."

JT pressed his lips together as he acknowledged Tess's concern, "Yeah…. Well, I took his phone from him the night of the accident while he was in Dopey Land; maybe, after we learn a few answers, I can use his phone to send out a mass text, telling all of his buddies that he's going on a trip to Argentina."

"Don't you think that'll sound a little conspicuous?" Tess raised her eyebrow. "It's a cute idea, JT, but people already think he's going to Mexico. Maybe we should stick with that plan." Tess placed her hand on JT's shoulder, and squeezed it. "Thanks for thinking about Cat, though. If it were me, I would personally send Gabe to a place like Argentina myself. Unfortunately, if I did, we wouldn't have jurisdiction over there."

"Good point." JT said as he pulled his keys out of his car, and unlocked all of the doors. "Now, let's inquisitize that bastard. I want to know what he did to revert his change; last I checked, Gabe was 100% human. I want to know what changed."

"I think we all do." Tess replied as both of them stepped out of the car, closed the car doors and headed for the Beast Dungeon. They were going to get to the bottom of this once and for all.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Vincent watched Catherine's chest as it heaved up and down while she breathed. It had been an hour since she had woke up, but she was so tired that Vincent ordered her to go back to sleep. At first, she had argued, but eventually sleep washed over her. Occasionally, doctors and nurses would pop in to check on Catherine's vitals and numbers, but Vincent didn't seem to mind. They were doing their jobs, after all.

Even though Catherine was responsive, it killed Vincent to look at her so helplessly. He should have been there for her. He lied to her before when she had asked about Gabe possibly being a beast. Had he sensed it? No. However, for the longest time, he felt something was off about the man. Unfortunately, he decided that negative feeling was nothing more than jealousy, and left it at that. He wanted Catherine to be happy so he pushed her towards Gabe. If he had only told her of the truth…of the feeling he felt every time he was near Gabe…she would have _not_ been in the hospital, nor would she be fighting for her life.

Her stomach injuries were severe; luckily, Gabe's claws did not tear apart her intestines, but they did rip through her stomach tissue. Until her scars fully heal, she won't be able to do many things, especially her job. As Vincent watched Catherine sleep, he heard someone walk into the room. "Well, isn't _this_ depressing."

Vincent whipped his head around, and saw Sam standing in the doorway. Instantly, he stood up and blocked Catherine from the psycho's view. "Sam."

"I'm flattered, Vincent. You remembered my name." Sam smirked. The crazed man walked towards Vincent, but every time he stepped towards Catherine's bed, Vincent would imitate his moves, and continue protecting his girlfriend from Sam. "I can see that you _still_ don't trust me."

"My trust is running thin these days." Vincent replied.

"As it should be; you are a beast after all." Sam chuckled.

"Why are you here, Sam?"

"Can I not check up on a friend? Catherine _did_ reunite me with my…my wife, Dana. I owe her a lot." Sam said solemnly as if he was trying to trick Vincent into thinking he was actually upset for Dana's 'death.'

"Well she's fine. You can leave." Vincent said quickly.

"I'm glad she's going to have a full recovery, then. I hope you find her attacker and exact justice. It would be a shame for Miss Chandler's assailant to get away with what he's done; even an ADA doesn't deserve to have a free pass."

Before Vincent could say anything, Sam walked out of the room and disappeared down the hall. _'Well, that was odd_,' Vincent thought as he sat back down. He laced his fingers with Catherine's, and pulled her hand up to his lips.

Suddenly, something dawned on him—never did he once tell Sam who had attacked Catherine. _'Something's not right…_' As he looked at Catherine, he decided he could wait until she was better to get to the bottom of this; he needed to be with Catherine—not exacting justice. The _last_ thing he needs is another bullet to his gut.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

"Gabe, I'm not messing around; you either answer our damned questions or you suffer from the barrel of my gun." Tess stated as she cocked her gun and pointed it directly between Gabe's eyes. "I know you tried to kill Catherine so I won't have a problem killing you with my bare hands."

"I told you everything I remember, Tess," Gabe replied with a domineering smile. "Must we go over it again?"

"We're not buying into your load of _crap_, Gabe." JT frowned, "You're going to answer our questions whether you like it or not."

"You want to bet?" Gabe challenged. He leaned backwards against the wall, and smirked. "You have _nothing_ on me, my friends. Forensics won't be able to make a connection between my DNA as well as the animalistic DNA they will find. Essentially, you have nothing."

"We could charge you for murder, though." Tess replied; "We found that mace, Gabe. You may have thought you have cleaned it, but there are traces of blood everywhere on the weapon. JT confirmed to me that the mace's spikes are identical to the one spike Vincent and Catherine found beneath the carriage horse's hoof."

"The case was solved, remember? The vigilante killed that carriage driver." Gabe challenged.

"I'll tell my higher-ups we got the wrong guy; with the blood on the mace, I'm sure we can easy reopen that case and convict you for first-degree murder. That will buy us time until we can figure out how to sentence you for attacking Catherine as well." Tess said with a smirk.

"Or," JT shrugged, "We could just leave you down here to rot; who needs the judicial system when we have Beast Justice?"

"Exactly," Tess nodded. "Since you'd be a threat above, I have no problems leaving you down here until you bleed dry. This place has been well-hidden for years; no one would even _think_ to look for you in this place."

"What ever happened to Miss Black and White?" Gabe asked Tess, "I thought you were against anything Beast Justice-related."

"Not when the _beast_ tries to kill my best friend." Tess replied. "Trust me, whether you talk or you don't talk, I _will_ find a way to exact justice on Cat's part. When she wakes, I'm going to ask her what happened, and when she tells me, all I will be thinking about is my gun in your face."

"I thought you were going to kill me _now_, if I don't talk."

"I'll leave the killing to Vincent; however, that doesn't mean I can't have my fill of revenge either." Tess replied. "Come on, JT, let's go. He's obviously not going to talk, so we'll leave him to Vincent to handle."

"Fine. Just one thing, first." JT nodded before pulling the trigger of his tranquilizer gun. Gabe fell unconscious, and the team started walking away from the ADA. "He was pissing me off."

"Don't worry; you weren't the only one who was pissed." Tess replied. "Let's get out of here."

"Right behind ya." JT said, and the pair left the dungeon, hoping Gabe would starve or thirst to death before Vincent ever has a chance of exacting revenge.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

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**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I know it wasn't as long, but I am drained out from school. The next chapter will be more fulfilling; I consider this chapter a stepping stone / filler chapter. **

**IMPORTANT #1: **

It has been brought to my attention that some readers are a little bit confused about the miscarriage. I would just like to clarify that the miscarriage wasn't necessarily caused to Catherine's abdominal injury. Yes, it was certainly a factor, but the miscarriage was primarily due to the high stress-load and trauma our poor Catherine received over the past several weeks.

Please note that I always do research before adding anything medical as I am not a doctor. The blood on the floor in Cat's bathroom was a mixture of blood from her stomach and her uterus. She was 10 weeks pregnant; I read accounts of women saying that they were in their 11th week during their miscarriages and that they DID have the fetuses 'fall out' along with blood.

Catherine was too focused on her abdominal pain, that she wasn't really noticing what was happening down below.

I don't mean to sound rude, but I wanted to clarify this confusion.

Make sense?

**IMPORTANT #2:**

I know it is hard to even talk with those tubes in your mouth, but because Vincent has excellent hearing, understanding Catherine wasn't a problem for him. (to a normal person, it would be very difficult, though).


	6. Part 6

**Keiko Fujiwara: **Sorry for the wait. Life has been one hell at a time. :/

* * *

**Title** | A Matter of Time

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | What happens if Gabe turns out to be hiding more secrets than Catherine or Vincent ever realized? What if one of them found out about it? What would he or she do? More importantly, how would Gabe respond in order to keep control of the 'situation'? This is my little masterpiece in which my mind created as an addition to the ending of BATB 2.13 "Till Death."

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something should be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

**A Matter of Time**

**Part 6**

**Written by: Keiko Fujiwara**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

A few days after Catherine had woken up, the doctors finally removed the ventilator and feeding tube. She could breathe on her own, and she was strong enough to eat on her own; however, she still wasn't able to move as freely as she would like to be. Gabe certainly did a number on her abdomen, and the doctors did not want her to move too fast too soon. For one, she might accidentally rip up her stitches. Even the smallest tear could cause her to have an infection if gone unnoticed. Every hour, Vincent would assess her vitals, and check her stitches. The doctors only came in every three hours so Vincent wasn't going to chance Catherine developing any kind of infection. He was constantly asking her how she felt—wanting to know everything to ensure she stays as healthy as she could be.

Other than her stomach, her throat was sore from having those godforsaken tubes jammed down her esophagus for several days. Because of her current condition, she was not allowed to eat any solid food as of yet. Doctor Miller wanted to make sure her throat heals before leveling up to real food. So, for now, she would have to deal with slurping Jell-O or Yoplait Yogurt until she gets Dr. Miller's approval to eat foods like steak, sandwiches or salads.

"How are you feeling?" Vincent asked as he walked into Catherine's hospital room with a cappuccino in his hand.

"Vincent, we've been over this—I feel fine." Catherine smiled, "Now, can I have a sip of your cappuccino? I'm starving and the full liquid diet isn't doing my famished stomach any favors."

"Sure, but only one sip, all right?" Vincent replied as he placed his Styrofoam-cup on the counter so he could slip into her bed without spilling any hot liquid on both of their laps. After wrapping his arm around her, pulling her closer to him and kissing her left temple, Vincent leaned to the left and reached for his cappuccino. He took a sip himself before handing the drink to Catherine. He kept a close eye on her, and listened as the liquid seeped into her mouth. He heard her swallow as quietly as she could, and when she tried to steal another sip, he took the cup away from her and placed it back onto the counter.

"Hey," she frowned.

"What did I say?" he raised his eyebrow.

"I know, but I was really hungry and thirsty. The hotness of the drink soothes my throat." Catherine said, still frowning.

Vincent kissed her cheek before saying, "As much as I would love to let you have more of my cappuccino, you know it's risky drinking something so heavy like that."

"Vincent," Catherine sighed but cringed when her stomach seared with pain. Before Vincent could react, she reassured him that she was fine. She just needed a moment for the pain to reside. "I know you're trying to take care of me, but you heard what the doctor said: full liquids—and that includes a caffeinated beverage. If you deny me of sustenance, I'll starve to death before the pain from my abdomen kills me. I understand the risk…that if I drink too much at once, the liquid might expand my stomach as well as rip my stitches apart. But, I promise, anything I am allowed to drink will be slowly consumed."

Vincent released a frustrated sigh. He wasn't upset with Catherine; he was upset with himself for being the too protective boyfriend type again. But after everything that's happened? Who could blame him for wanting to make sure the love of his life sees through to the next day? "Sorry for being such an ass lately."

"Who said you were being an ass? I appreciate you looking out for me, Vincent, I do. But I need to recover, not stay in the hospital." She smiled and took his hand into hers, "and following that full liquid diet is going to help me do that."

"You're right…I guess I was just being a little bit paranoid." Vincent replied, reaching back over for the cup.

"And that's understandable considering what all we've been through, and the fact that you were once a doctor in medicine." Catherine responded, leaning her head against Vincent's shoulder. "But, you should know by now that I'm all about taking risks."

"Is that so?" he sneered.

"I'm dating you, aren't I?" she grinned, warranting her a kiss from her knight in shining armor. Suddenly, the entire conversation about the cappuccino was long forgotten; as Vincent kissed Catherine, he used his beast senses to place the hot drink back onto the counter before cupping her face with his now-free hand. It's been a long time since they have kissed like that, and Vincent will be damned if he ever gave up on his love for Catherine. He almost did, but thankfully JT was there to knock the crap out of his mind. He was never going to let Catherine Chandler go ever again. Not now. Not ever.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

"Did you retrieve the package?" JT asked Tess as she walked into his bachelor's pad.

"Yes, but I'm not exactly sure what you want to do with _it_." Tess replied, "There's a freakin' fetus in the jar within this box; you do know the coroners don't really check dead fetuses for DNA, don't you? There's really no point since we know who the mother is…was."

"I might not be the cop, here, but if the fetus is relevant to Catherine's attack, yeah; the coroner definitely would check for DNA. You know detectives would do anything in order to catch the bad guy—that includes the coroner too. Consider stealing this fetus as a way of saving Vincent's ass; no one can kno—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. No one can know about Vincent's DNA. Got it. But what are we going to explain to the coroner when he notices a big chunk of evidence for Catherine's assault is missing? It's not like I can just tell him I stole it because I thought it would look pretty on an associate's shelf." Tess frowned as she handed JT the enclosed box before he placed it on the bar counter.

"Evidence goes missing all of the time, right? I stole from Evan a few times—he never suspected me."

"Yeah, but that's different, JT. You had replacements to swap it with. We can't exactly swap out a fetus with another one—that's virtually impossible." Tess replied. "So, what do you suggest we do?"

"Do I look like the detective here?" JT shrugged, "I didn't really think that far out! Besides, you and I were just following Vincent's orders. Maybe…," JT paused as he thought for a moment, "Hmmm…Well, Gabe's DNA was probably found embedded within Catherine's wounds. Doctors usually swab for DNA, don't they? If they did find Gabe's DNA, looks like case closed—no need to test the fetus."

"One problem," Tess folded her arms across her chest.

"What?"

"If they find Gabe's DNA—they're going to find out he's a genetic mutant like Vincent. They're not going to want to take him to jail—they're going to want to take him to some laboratory; who knows, they might alert the Big Bad Wolf party that had Tori killed. Gabe's a smart guy; he's not going to go down without a fight. If he gets arrested, he'll find a way to make Vincent's life miserable. I worry about that, JT. Nothing would make Vincent more miserable than losing Catherine, and it's clear that Gabe obviously doesn't care for her wellbeing; he'll do whatever he can to seek out revenge." Tess sighed as she took a seat at one of the barstools while JT circled around the bar to console her.

"Whatever happens, we won't let Gabe get away with anything. I can assure you that after this attack, Vincent's not going to leave Catherine's side—not even for a side dish of revenge with a dash of Gabe on it. Remember the last time he rushed in to kill someone? It didn't exactly bode too well for the big guy. But…to be sure that the coroner does not have a stash of the fetus's DNA hidden somewhere, I'm going to need to speak with him…as a scientist of course. I could tell him I was an associate of Evan Marks—which is true, and I decided I would like to offer my assistance since Catherine's attack isn't exactly a normal brew of tea, if you know what I mean." JT also took a seat on the barstool to Tess's left. He leaned forward, folded his fingers together and stared at the marble counter as he waited for Tess's response. "Do you think that's too risky?"

"As of right now—in order to not only protect Vincent but to protect Cat, I think it's the best bet we have. If someone obtains Vincent's DNA—again—links it back to the vigilante cases, we could have an even bigger problem on our hands. Catherine would be taken into questioning after her recovery, and will be arrested for covering up the vigilante killings. You and I _both_ know prison would destroy Cat—and it's the last thing Vincent needs in his life right now. He's already stressed as is with Cat being hospitalized; we can't have anything happen that could _really _put him into stressed mode."

"Yeah, because that would be catastrophic." JT nodded. "Okay, well, I guess now is a good time as any to go to the precinct. But first…" JT's voice faded as he took the _box_ off of the counter, and walked over to the safety deposit room. He unlocked the safe, stepped inside and pulled a drawer out before placing the package inside. As he walked back out, he said, "We can't very well have that out and about. I'm still not sure what to do with it so I'll wait for Vincent to tell me what to do with it. For all we know, he may want me to study it…as odd as that may be…Anyway," he smiled, "Think you can introduce me to the coroner?"

"What the hell?" Tess shrugged. "But first, let's go check on Vincent and Catherine. It's been a few days since we've seen her."

"Sounds good." JT nodded, "Maybe we should go and buy a bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear or something."

"Good plan." Tess replied before the sidekick duo left the Gentlemen's Guild together.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Vincent kissed Catherine's temple as they sat together on her hospital bed and watched a horrible movie on the TV. There wasn't much to do so they took joy in making fun of all of the things that went wrong in _Twilight_—and it wasn't the fact that the movie wasn't following the book very well; it was the casts' acting that made the movie so terrible.

After the first thirty minutes, the couple had had enough, so Vincent turned off the TV with the remote, and decided to pay more attention to the woman sitting beside him. "Please tell me you didn't read any of those godforsaken books."

"N-no," she answered immediately, but he knew she was lying.

"You are such a bad liar," he laughed before kissing her nose. "It's a wonder how you were able to keep my secret hidden for so long."

"Believe me, I've been asking myself the same question for the longest time," she smiled. Carefully, she leaned into Vincent's warmth and snuggled against him. Vincent could feel how cold she was; hell, she was shivering. He placed his hand over her head, and frowned.

"Catherine, you have a fever." Vincent stated, causing his girlfriend to look at him.

"I'm fine," she replied wearily, but the fact was she wasn't fine. Her stomach hurt—a lot—but she didn't want Vincent to worry about her; she just figured it was cramps or something.

"Tell me the truth," Vincent said sternly.

"Vincent, you don't need to worry about me, it's just a little pain; I can handle it."

"A little pain could easily lead to an infection or something worse; where does it hurt? Your stomach?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

Vincent gently pressed his fingers against her stomach, feeling around for anything that might cause her to jump in pain. "Here?"

"Not so much."

"How about here?" he pressed against the middle of her stomach near her navel.

"Not really." When his fingers moved to the left of her stomach, she winced in pain—even her tough front wasn't enough to hide her agony.

Vincent cupped his hands around her stomach, causing her even more discomfort, and muttered, "Crap."

"What is it?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Your stomach—it's distended." He frowned. "Tell me, are you thirsty at all or feel nauseated?"

Catherine nodded, "Yeah, I'm quite a bit thirsty…and my stomach does hurt but I thought it might be due to the fact that I'm not consuming enough solid foods. Why?"

"When was the last time you went to the rest room?"

"Early this morning. Vincent, what's going on?" Suddenly, the pain in her stomach peaked, multiplying tenfold. She grasped her abdomen with her hands and arched her back; she felt like she was going to throw up.

"No time to answer," Vincent replied as he quickly pressed the emergency button, and detached Catherine's hospital bed from the wall, before wheeling her out of the room. Doctors and nurses came running as Catherine wailed in pain while Vincent continued to push her down the hallway. Her blood pressure drastically dropped. There was no time to lose.

"What's going on?" Doctor Miller demanded. "You are not authorized to move Miss Chandler from her room."

"I know, but she is showing symptoms of Peritonitis; her stomach is distended, and she needs emergency surgery." Vincent stated.

"I trust your judgment, Mr. Keller, but let us take it over from here. I'll forget this ordeal because you're doing what you can to save this young woman's life, but you need to step back and let us take care of it. Okay?"

Vincent released the bed, and watched the nurses push Catherine's bed towards the surgery ward. "We'll keep you updated." Dr. Miller said before leaving with the crew.

As Catherine disappeared from his sight, Vincent heard two people running up to him. "What happened?!" JT asked from behind him.

Vincent didn't answer. He only clenched his fists and cursed aloud before slamming his fist against the wall, cracking it in several directions.

"All right, big guy," JT stated as he and Tess dropped everything and pulled Vincent back before he broke down the whole building. "What the hell happened?!"

"Peritonitis," Vincent muttered.

"Shit." JT mumbled. "That's bad…Very bad."

"What the hell does that mean?" Tess asked, looking at both Vincent and JT. "Tell me what the hell that means!"

"Cat could be in big trouble." JT responded as he pulled Vincent back into Catherine's hospital room. "and when I say big trouble, I mean Colossal Trouble."

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

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**Keiko Fujiwara: **

**I'm soooo bad. I know. Hope you liked this chapter! Review please! =]**


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